Toronto mayor admits he smoked crack

TORONTO - Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who long denied allegations that he used crack cocaine, admitted Tuesday that he used the drug "probably a year ago" when he was drunk.

Ford's admission that he used the drug once while in a "drunken stupor" came after months of accusations during which the embattled mayor refused to step down. He denied that he is a crack addict.

"Yes, I've made mistakes,'' he said. "All I can do now is apologize and move on,'' the Toronto Globe and Mail reported.

His admission came after Toronto police said they had a video tape that appeared to show the 44-year-old mayor puffing on a crack cocaine pipe. But police said they don't have sufficient evidence to charge Ford with a crime.

"Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine," Ford told reporters Tuesday outside his office. "There have been times when I've been in a drunken stupor. That's why I want to see the tape. I want everyone in the city to see this tape. I don't even recall there being a tape or video. I want to see the state that I was in."

Ford's admission came after he apologized Sunday on his weekly radio show for "a lot of stupid things." He didn't address his drug use on Sunday's show, however, and said he would not resign from the post he's held since December 2010.

Ford said Toronto residents can come to their own conclusions.

"Whatever this video shows, Toronto residents deserve to see it and people need to judge for themselves what they see on this video," he said.

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